Neuropsychological inference using a microphrenological approach does not need a locality assumption

Abstract

Farah's (1994) target article provides an admirable overview of the problems connected with the use of the locality assumption, one that more or less equalizes the function of a lesioned structure with the defects exhibited by the damaged brain and is almost always invoked to interpret the results of lesion studies. In an elegant way, Farah provides evidence that this reasoning may lead to false conclusions. Besides convincing, her treatment is also constructive, in that she provides alternative hypotheses that may explain the data.